Saturday, June 23, 2007

Why Politicians Need to 'Keep it Real'

Like most people I haven't quite worked out the truth behind Gordon's overtures to the LibDems. Matthew Parris goes through the various motivations in his Times column today. Whatever the truth of it, one particular thought has struck me. This is yet further proof of Gordon Brown trying to be something he is patently not. Brown is one of the most party political and tribal men in politics today. In normal circumstances he would stab himself in the eye before wanting Tories or LibDems in his government.

This is just the latest example of Brown trying to prove he is something which we all know he isn't. This is a very dangerous trait in a politician. And it is a trait which will end in tears. Sir Ming Campbell has learned that the hard way. He acceded to his spin doctors' wishes and ended up indulging in ludicrous stunts aimed at making the LibDem leader young and energetic and was rightly pilloried for it. And it is still going on. Ming has worn glasses for years. He doesn't any more - in public, at any rate. There are countless other examples.

Ming Campbell and Gordon Brown will both live to regret trying to be something they are not. The public will always, in the end, see through it and punish them accordingly. That is why it is so vital that David Cameron never falls into this trap and 'keeps it real'.

Blair is living proof that a politician can appear to be anything he chooses to be. He drops his public school accent on demand when he thinks it fit, he tells the left he is a socialist, the right he is a free marketeer, etc. etc.

He has fooled enough of the people enough of the time to still be negotiating treaties for us ten years on!

An unfortunate turn of phrase 'In normal circumstances he would stab himself in the eye (subliminal? methinks), do we really want Blunkett mark2?).

Not only do we have to question his motives but we have to look four to fives moves ahead in his thinking. I am a newcomer to intelligent politics, yet I can't help but think that he is setting you all up once more. Think of Penn & Teller: look there - but concentrate here. My feelings about this are that you are all being led off on a goose chase whilst he is setting the agenda.

I'll freely admit that I do not know where that's leading but I'll take a wee stab.

Suddenly, OK within 6 months, some taxes will be lowered. Lots of crap about truth re pensions must be revised (main point?), children cannot leave (primary) school unless they can read or write and there must be a failsafe system against the incursions of Europe.

It would be more helpful if instead of relying on vacuity, flip phrases and spin,Cameron could put a bit more effort into trying to be something, anything, that he actually is. We already know what he's not - a principled Conservative, for one thing.

As for keeping it real, Nulab know how to fix false ballots - Harriet Harman still expects to win the Deputy leadership. What's stopping them fixing a referendum?The French did it to force the Euro onto an unwilling electorate. The scoundrels have no respect for democracy. They get full support for their lies in most main media channels. Fixing votes is the easy bit.

The more I think about Matthew Parris's piece, the more I think he is right

Brown is as is well documented as a control freak. What kind of control freak like news that people have actually refused his advances

Most history is driven by post rationalisation of cock ups, so its not too difficult to see Brown's spinners trying to turn Brown's failure into a success.

What I cannot understand at the moment is what Dave & Co are doing. The number of ways of attacking Brown are many and varied - you Ian , Dizzy and many others are highlighting them. But Dave and Co do nothing, except kick on goals

Oh when will anyone realise Brown and his advisers ARE idiots.They keep doing things that are SO stupid people can't believe that they are just cocking it up. Remember the corporate tax 0% rate band - a complete cock up that no-one had the balls (!) to reverse for a couple of years but gave everyone who became a limited company £10,000 tax free. Or the discretionary trusts last year that he and his team consulted with, er, well, absolutely no-one. They had to back pedal furiously but most people didn't get it because it was to technical. I bet he didn't mean to wipe out everyone's pensions so drastically either. HE IS JUST STUPID!!!

Some seem to be getting excited about one poll showing them 3 points in the lead. What will they do when there is another one? Wet themselves? Calm down lads.

But it is certaimly true that Brown has always been a consummate strategist. However, that was when was the "Iron Chancellor" and he had some money (all those extra taxes) to play with. Now he faces the prospect of a weakening economy, higher interest rates, more union unrest, and youth unemployment creeping up thus adding to the underclass of the unskilled and uneducated. Not to mention his first test of persuading us that the deal Tony Blair negotiated on the EU treaty has not given even more power away to that mad French bloke and Ms Merkel.

From next Thursday he will not have his hand directly on the purse strings and yet will have to do something reduce the tax burden on the middle class. Getting my highly paid GP to work a few extra hours a week will not be enough.

It will be very interesting to see how many plates he can keep spinning as Prime Minister. Expect a few breakages - I hope!

How on earth is Cameron keeping it real?? STILL nobody knows what he stand for or what type of leader he is. Policy bereft and a thorn in trad Tory sides. He is by far the most artificial, trunced up, cardboard cut out of a leader this nation has ever seen. He's as real as Mickey Mouse, keep it up, just look at the polls.